Last week’s ISR Discussion Topic delved into how well, or not, schools are adhering to their Contracts in regard to end-of-Contract return flights home. A number of teachers reported their schools had found ‘clever’ ways to negate their contractual promises.
Given that increased airfares have provided some schools with a convenient excuse to legitimize reneging on the flight-home clause of their Contracts, ISR asks: How is YOUR school behaving when it comes to transporting teachers’ personal possessions back to their home of record?
Contracts are made to ensure all parties adhere to the letter of their word, no matter the unforeseen situations that present themselves. Schools which make unilateral changes to their Contracts are well aware that teachers have little to no recourse as litigation is next to impossible in many host countries. If YOUR school falls into this category, you can alert colleagues with an ISR School Review.
In addition to a flight-home allowance, were you promised a shipping allowance to your home of record? Has your school stuck to the letter of their Contract? In a worst case scenario, ISR is aware of teachers leaving all possessions behind. They’re no doubt singing the Post-Covid Shipping Allowance Blues and hopefully reviewing their School to help keep colleagues safe. Review Your School.
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In my experience, the small or independent schools are better and more flexible with flights and shipping than some of the Big Name Chains. I suppose when you’re a chain with thousands of teachers, a few hundred $s for each teacher’s shipping adds up to something they’re just not prepared to pay.
This year I am leaving a Big Chain who will not pay my shipping. The small school I am moving to is paying for it instead.
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My current school did not offer shipping allowance though did pay a “settling in” allowance that came to roughly the cost of one extra suitcase on that route.
When I was recruited, I was told that the school had “negotiated with the airline a generous baggage allowance” – which turned out to be the standard baggage allowance for economy fares. Why would they dress this up as anything else? I don’t know, but it undermines trust and credibility.
When there’s no shipping allowance and you’re forced to travel light, it makes it feel far more temporary and less like home or a long term proposition. But then, with profit the driving factor for many schools now, continuity of service doesn’t matter to them and they don’t really care if teachers move on after a year or two.
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My school has reduced the shipping allowance. Instead of actually shipping our belongings back to our home of record, are asking us to pay 50% of the cost to get from the port to our home. They offered a 20ft container when I came here before COVID but are now using increased costs to claim they should pay less. What would happen if I demanded a raise because the taxes on my house in the States when up, and was in a position to demand it? This is really BS on their part.
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I’ve not been offered a contract since covid times that has included shipping or even an option to negociate.
My last school contract had 13000aed of return shipping, and I feel those days are over in international schools. Employment contracts now are using trick wording to pay less at end of service, and more profits to the owners. End of service deductions are now the international teachers worry.
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